Contini Caffe to open on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Contini Caffe will be located in Cannonball House, one of the capital’s historic buildings dating from the sixteenth century

Contini Caffe, a casual Italian caffe and more formal Scottish kitchen and bar, will open in the centre of Scotland’s capital city in July.

The new venture will be located in Cannonball House, one of the capital’s historic buildings dating from the sixteenth century. The building is currently undergoing extensive renovations to create a bar and café space which ranges over three floors and offers views out over the city and Edinburgh Castle.

The project is being undertaken as a partnership between the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which owns the building, and restaurant owners Victor and Carina Contini, who run Contini Ristorante on George Street and The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the Scottish National Gallery on The Mound.

Italian and Scottish​

Contini Caffe will include a casual Italian-style café, as well as a Scottish-style kitchen and bar, celebrating its owners’ Italian and Scottish heritage. The site will house a porridge bar and an artisan ice cream parlour. The interior is decorated with touches of tartan mixed with Italian style, and the owners aim for it to appeal to Edinburgh locals as well as visitors to the city.

Owner Carina Contini said: “The Caffe is our third restaurant in Edinburgh and it will have something for everyone. This is a prime location on the tourism map so we want it to showcase the very best Scotland has to offer.

“We will be working with the best Scottish suppliers to ensure visitors get a taste of Scotland they will remember for all the right reasons. During the day we expect it to be a tourist destination but the top floor will make the most spectacular evening venue for corporate events and private parties. The mix of iconic views and historical location married with our food and drink heritage will create something totally new and very exciting.”

Partnership​

The partnership with the Continis is an operational first for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which has been using the Cannonball House building as the logistical base for the Tattoo.

Tattoo Chief Executive Brigadier David Allfrey MBE said: “We are proud and privileged to be working with the Continis on this project. We started work on the concept nearly 18 months ago and it is wonderful to see it progressing, the ideas for the internal layout coming to together and, of course, the prospect of great food and drink.

“From my perspective, this partnership represents another wonderful opportunity to offer visitors to Edinburgh a rich and varied choice. This is all to the good for the City and for Scotland.”